Chapter 26

           Fromthistime,thesubjectwasfrequentlycanvassedbythethreeyoungpeople;andCatherinefound,withsomesurprise,thathertwoyoungfriendswereperfectlyagreedinconsideringIsabella’swantofconsequenceandfortuneaslikelytothrowgreatdifficultiesinthewayofhermarryingtheirbrother.Theirpersuasionthatthegeneralwould,uponthisgroundalone,independentoftheobjectionthatmightberaisedagainsthercharacter,opposetheconnection,turnedherfeelingsmoreoverwithsomealarmtowardsherself.Shewasasinsignificant,andperhapsasportionless,asIsabella;andiftheheiroftheTilneypropertyhadnotgrandeurandwealthenoughinhimself,atwhatpointofinterestwerethedemandsofhisyoungerbrothertorest?Theverypainfulreflectionstowhichthisthoughtledcouldonlybedispersedbyadependenceontheeffectofthatparticularpartiality,which,asshewasgiventounderstandbyhiswordsaswellashisactions,shehadfromthefirstbeensofortunateastoexciteinthegeneral;andbyarecollectionofsomemostgenerousanddisinterestedsentimentsonthesubjectofmoney,whichshehadmorethanonceheardhimutter,andwhichtemptedhertothinkhisdispositioninsuchmattersmisunderstoodbyhischildren.

           Theyweresofullyconvinced,however,thattheirbrotherwouldnothavethecouragetoapplyinpersonforhisfather’sconsent,andsorepeatedlyassuredherthathehadneverinhislifebeenlesslikelytocometoNorthangerthanatthepresenttime,thatshesufferedhermindtobeateaseastothenecessityofanysuddenremovalofherown.